Russ McIntosh can be found on the 10th floor, space 130 near the bar on the airport side of the building. This is his first ArtOMatic, although last year he was a part of the ArtOMatic at Reagan National Airport, where he enjoyed the diversity of the artwork shown. Earlier this year, he was also a part of the ArtOMatic group that was in the Clarendon Mardi Gras parade. “Artomatic is more than an event; it’s a community!”
The artwork of Russ McIntosh has hidden images throughout it, inviting exploration and lingering as “the longer you look, the more you will find hidden in the shadows and highlights.” He describes the work he is showing at ArtOMatic as mainly that which he has created in the past year plus a few older pieces included because he feels they are “eye-catching.” He says that several of the pieces are homages to great artists and a few others are based on songs and music. “If you happen to have a smart phone with you when visiting my space, you can scan the QR codes on the title cards to read a little more in depth about each piece.” Russ describes his digital photography, which he has spent over 15 years developing, as “unique” and “very original” as he has yet to find another artist who creates surreal scenes like his.
Ed’s Aside: those funny looking codes you see mounted on walls around ArtOMatic (they look like this and work with smart phones) are the new technological way of taking the viewer more in depth to an artist’s work, add music to expand the piece, and even to pay on PayPal because you don’t want anyone else to get it (separate uses, not bundled). Take some time to tarry and delve into the artist spaces that you love and use your smart phone to read the codes. It will greatly enhance your viewing!
Russ has several shows going on at the moment in addition to the one he has up at ArtOMatic. “Artspace Herndon has three of my works until May 31; Capital Hill Art League has 2 pieces (one of which just won an award) until June 1, and Arlington Arts Gallery is showcasing six of my works until June 19 – after which they will be showing yet another grouping of my work. I also will have a piece in the upcoming Open Hearth show, “Elements and Elementals” which starts June 2 and runs until September 8. Finally, I am wrapping up two new pieces to be featured at the ArtLib show at Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center in Fort Washington, MD from June 18 – August 10.” Interested folks can stay up to date with his show roster by visiting his website at: http://wwwRussMcIntosh.com and signing up for his newsletter.
While it hardly sounds as if Russ ever has a slump, he does have tactics for getting through them should they arrive. “A great way to get over a slump is to always carry a sketchbook with you. You never know when creativity will strike and you can jot your idea down easily and refer back to it once you get in the studio.” He describes this notebook as an excellent antidote to staring at a blank canvas and not being able to remember your insights because you didn’t write them down. He carries one that fits in his pocket, and takes it everywhere with him!
Russ tells of his “aha” moment in art this way: “When I was a kid in school I would skip class and spend hours in the art section of the library devouring books on daVinci and the masters. Then one day I came across a book on Salvador Dali and my life changed forever! I love how Dali crafted these amazing double images in his art. You would seen an image in the overall composition, but if you looked closer you saw many other elements hidden throughout the piece. I reflected on how in the real world I would
stare at the clouds or the shadows in a tree and see things within them: bunnies, dragons, whatever; but someone else staring at the same thing would see something totally different. I try to bring all of this into my artwork: Dali’s double images, the way everyone looks at clouds and shadows and sees something else, daVinci’s mathematics for how to make someone’s eye move across artwork by use of color and composition.
Although Russ hasn’t explored too far beyond the 10th floor, he has found some favorites: Rebecca Gordon’s ‘Bacon’ room on the 10th, Michael Auger‘s black room, NJArtitecture, and Sherill Anne Gross on the 11th, Emily Hoxworth on the 2nd and The Art Monkey’s John and Mary on the 1st.
You can find more Russ McIntosh on his website noted above, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TheSurrealArtOfRussMcIntosh, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/RussMcIntoshArt, and a blog at http://cerebralmindscape.blogspot.com.
To read more interviews and see more photographs from ArtOMatic 2012 and earlier ArtOMatics, go here.
